Shelf



R. O. H UNT SHELF March so, 1948.

Filed Jan. 19, 1946 I N VEN TOR.

R/CHARD 0. HUNT A TTORNEVS Patented Mar. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHELF Richard 0. Hunt, Altadena, Calif. Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,153

Claims. (01. 21190) This invention relates to shelf structures, particularly those in which the shelf is of brittle material, such as glass.

It is customary to employ glass shelving in bathrooms, laboratories, and the like; and such shelving, in addition to being useful and decorative, is advantageous because it has a durable, nonporous surface which is easily sterilized. However, because of its brittle and non-yielding character, the support of a glass shelf presents a number of problems, not the least of which is that the shelf is likely to be broken during in stallation due to excessive pressure from a structure employed to support it.

I have developed a shelf structure which is convenient to assemble and install and which is particularly adapted to holding shelves or plates of brittle material, such as glass. In its preferred form, the shelf structure of my invention comprises a plurality of brackets spaced from each other and adapted to be fastened to a wall, a plate resting on the brackets with its rear edge against the wall and its front edge projecting slightly beyond the brackets, a strip provided with a groove into which the front edge of the plate is fitted, the strip abutting the fronts of both brackets, and means, preferably screws, securing the brackets to the strip at the places of abutment. For ease in installation and to avoid damage to a glass plate, I have discovered that it is advantageous to employ a retaining strip of plastic or equivalent yieldable material. Preferably, the bracket-s should also be made of plastic or equivalent yieldable material when the plate is of glass or other brittle substance, since the presence of the plastic at the junctions between the brackets and the strip exerts a cushioning effect and prevents the shelf from being broken due to excessive compression exerted on the shelf between the strip and the wall.

In a preferred modification, the grooved strip has transverse projections at each and extending toward the wall. These projections, like the main portion of the strip, are grooved and the adjacent side edges of the plate are fitted into the grooves in the projections, thus preventing lateral movement of the plate on the brackets. The projection conveniently is curved toward the wall, the. adjacent corners of the plate being rounded to fit into the groove. A preferred type of con-struction involves the bending of the two ends of the strip toward the wall with the groove on the insides, the front edge of the plate and the side edges of the plate adjacent the front being fitted into the groove.

These and other features of my invention will be understood thoroughly in the light of the following detailed description which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a preferred form of the shelf structure;

Fig. 2 is a transverse view of the shelf structure, partly in section, and showing the manner in which it is fastened to a. wall; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of a front corner of the structure showing a preferred transverse projection on the retaining strip for preventing lateral movement of the plate on the brackets.

Referring to the drawings, the structure comprises a pair of brackets I0, I l, the second of these being shown in detail in Fig. 2. Thus, each bracket comprises a horizontal upper strip l2, preferably of plastic, such as cellulose acetate, and of rectangular cross-section. The horizontal strip is bent downward in a curve adjacent a wall Si! (see Fig. 2) and has a short vertical portion 62A at its lower end, this portion being drilled to accommodate a screw l3 that fastens the strip to the wall. The lower portion of the bracket comprises a second strip M which is preferably of the same rectangular cross-section as the first strip. The upper portion of the second strip is fastened parallel to the first strip about midway along the latter. The connection between the two strips may be secured by means of cement or, in the case of thermoplastic material, by mere heat and pressure. Strip l4 curves first outwardly and downwardly, and then inwardly and downwardly to alower vertical portion MA, which extends for a short distance parallel to the wall and to the matching section IZA of the other strip. It is drilled to accommodate a second screw l5 which holds it to the wall.

The upper strips of the two brackets define a horizontal plane. A shelf plate l6 rests on the brackets, i. e., on the horizontal portion of the upper strips. The shelf plate preferably is rectangular in the plan, save for rounded front corners. The rear edge of the shelf plate extends slightly beyond the front ends of the brackets, i. e., the square cut ends of the upper strips.

The plate is held in position by a grooved retaining strip ll. As shown in Fig. 2, this strip may be of rectangular section with a rectangular groove on its inner face, which is of such width and depth that the front edge of the shelf fits snugly into it, substantially completely filling the groove. The lower wall "A of the groove is of the same thickness as the upper strips which pport the shelf. The depth of the groove equals the distance that the shelf projects beyond the brackets. The retaining strip l! is secured to each bracket by means of screws l8, l9, projecting horizontally through the strip and threaded into the ends of the upper strips of the brackets.

Each end of the retaining strip is curved inwardly toward the wall to provide a pair of projections 20, 2| (see Figs. land 3). These are likewise grooved on the inside and fit the rounded front corners of the plate. The projections prevent lateral movement of the plate.

The installation of the shelf structure of the invention is simple.

The two brackets are screwed to the wall by means of the four screws;

rhown, the spacing between the brackets being the distance between the screws l8, l9 on the a retaining strip. Thus, the two brackets extend at right angles to the wall with their upper strips' horizontal. Next, the {glass plate is placed on the brackets. The retaining strip is placed in position with the front edge of the plate in the groove; and thenthe two screws l8, l9 are threaded into their respective sockets in the outer face: of the brackets. Due to the yieldable nature of the plastic, the screws may be tightened substantially without fear of cracking the glass shelf. I claim:

1. In a shelf structure, the combination which comprises a plurality of brackets spaced from each other and adapted to be fastened to a wall, a plate resting on the brackets with its rear edge against the. wall and its front edge projecting slightly beyond the brackets, a strip provided with a groove into which the front edge of the plate is fitted and having transverse projections at both ends likewise'grooved, the side edges of the plate being fitted in the grooves in the projections, the strip abutting the fronts of the brack- T ets, and means securing the brackets to the strip at the places of abutment. 1

2. In a shelf structure, the combination which compri es a'plurality of brackets spaced from against thewall'and its front edge projecting slightly beyond the" brackets, a strip provided being likewise grooved and the plate being correspondingly curved and'fitted in the groovesin the projections, the'strip abutting the fronts of the brackets, and'means securing the brackets to the strip at the places of abutment.

3. In a shelf structure, the combination'which comprises a plurality of brackets spaced from each other and adapted to be fastened to a wall, a plate resting on the brackets with its rear edge.

each other and adapted to be fastened to a wall.

a plate resting on the brackets with its rear edge against the wall and its front edge projecting slightly beyond the brackets, a strip provided with a groove, the two ends of the strip being bent toward the wall with the groove on the insides, and the front edge of the plate and the side edges of the plate adjacent the front being fitted into the groove, the strip being disposed to abut the fronts of the'brackets, and means securing the brackets to the strip at the places of abutment.

4'. In a shelf structure, the combination which comprises a plurality of plastic brackets spaced from each other and adapted to be fastened to a wall, a glass plate resting on the brackets with its rear edge against the wall and its front edge projecting slightly beyond the brackets, a plastic strip provided with a groove, the two ends of the strip being bent toward the wall with the groove 'on the inside, and the front edge of the plate strip'provided with a groove, the two ends of the strip being bent" toward the wall with the groove on the inside, and the front edge of the plate and the side, edges of the plate adjacent the frontbeing fitted into the groove, the strip being disposed to abut the fronts of the brackets,

and screws passingthrough the strip into the E respective brackets at the places of abutmen and securing the strip to the bracket.

RICHARD O. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'i n fileof this patent;

7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number. 'Name r 572,231 Waite Dec. 1, 1396 1,044,749 CObb NOV. 19, 1912 1,308,312 Weber July 1, 1919 1,805,584 7 V Kemp .May 19, 1931 2,323,910 King Sept. 7, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain 1891 

